1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to flexible metal piping, and in particular to flexible metal piping sections with corrugations and various end connectors.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various types of flexible piping are well known and a variety of different designs have been devised for meeting the requirements of particular applications. For example, flexible metal piping is often used for conveying fluids where terminal portions thereof may move with respect to each other or may be misaligned. Flexible metal piping thus allows an installer to accommodate different field conditions, such as the misalignment of respective end fittings which are to be connected by the flexible metal piping section.
Flexible metal piping can also be used for bulk material conveyance. Flexible metal piping can be formed by a variety of techniques. For example, it can be formed by interlocking the leading and trailing edges of flat metal bands at interlocked joints which permit relative movement and thus provide flexibility. Flexible metal piping can also be formed from corrugated metal strips with interlocked leading and trailing edges whereby the flexibility is provided by the corrugations. An example of such flexible metal piping is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 925,317 for FLEXIBLE METALLIC TUBING.
For relatively heavy duty and high pressure applications, it can be preferable to minimize the length of the seam forming the flexible metal piping and thereby reduce possibilities of leakage and rupture. For example, a tubular section can be formed by rolling flat stock, such as sheet metal, and welding abutting edges thereof to form a longitudinally-extending seam. A single, longitudinally-extending seam can significantly reduce the total seam length over previous spiral-winding construction techniques.
The present invention addresses some of the problems and disadvantages with previous flexible metal piping assemblies.